


From Ashes We Will Rise

by BLAKEGOLD



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Dystopia, F/F, Fantasy, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Vampires, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, POV Lesbian Character, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves, Werewolves Turn Into Actual Wolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28584171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BLAKEGOLD/pseuds/BLAKEGOLD
Summary: The year is 2325. Humanity has found another way to survive after a devastating nuclear war wiped out most of the population 300 years ago. An electromagnetic pulse covered the entire planet as a result of the nuclear attack, making any and all electricity obsolete. The only option was to regress back to medieval times before electricity and democracy.Werewolves. Evolved from radiation absorption. Only a select few had the gene to transform into a wolf twice the size of any normal canine. The vampire's natural enemy. Or so they were told by the King.Vampires. Not much is known about them. Only that they are to be wiped out under the King's orders. They try to stay out of the way, but you can only run away from your future for so long.Follow Rae and her band of werewolf knights as they traverse through the realm of vampires, love, war, and the future of the kingdom itself.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Kudos: 3





	1. || Chapter 1 ||

I was taken when I was only two years old. I don’t remember much from that time, just little glimpses and bursts of memory that clog my brain. I remember always feeling like I didn’t belong. I remember never having anyone to hang out with. I felt like the outcast, even at only two years old. Some memories still catch me in my sleep, making me toss and turn all night long. There were guards. Kicking the door down with so much force my ears rang. There was crying, but whether it was mine or my parents, I don’t remember. Then there were hands on me. I didn’t fight. I just let them take me. I never felt connected to anything so why would I care where they took me? 

I don’t even remember what my parents look like anymore. Every day their faces becoming a little more blurry, their voices becoming a little more muffled until eventually they just vanished from my memory completely. Now they’re just strangers. I wouldn’t even be able to point them out in a crowd anymore. Not that I’d want to. 

I remember being four or five years old and crying for them every night in bed, curled up in my sheets. Wanting so badly for them to come and rescue me from my cell room. Soon enough I realized they weren’t coming. And the older I got, the more I realized they were probably dead. We were taught in classes that the only job of a werewolf other than protecting the kingdom, was to make more werewolves. That’s exactly what my “parents” did. If you can even call them that. I mean, what did they ever do for me? Birthed me into this world where I would have to procreate for the rest of my life? Probably with some guy that I didn’t even know. Just someone that could make a strong, healthy werewolf offspring. Yeah, thanks, Mom and Dad. 

I don’t really like to think about it anymore. 

I was only two. That was the age every werewolf child is taken to the heart of Halloguard to train and become a soldier to King Erik. He treats us like we’re important. He feeds us well and the better you are at your job, the more respect he gives you. We’re used as warriors so the humans don’t have to sacrifice themselves. They can focus on things that they’re good at, like building, cooking, and farming. We are the superior ones at fighting. Now, if you’re bad at your job, it’s a whole other story. I won’t go into details, but let’s just say you’ll wish you were blessed with death. But that’s what they get for not being the best so I don’t feel bad. 

When you’re taken, you’re given a fresh new identity. You’re schooled for a few years on the history of the kingdoms, the ruling family, and how we’re here today because of them. You become a loyal servant to the King and insubordination is prohibited. We’re also taught that our main fulfillment in life other than fighting, is to procreate. Basically, every female werewolf is supposed to have offspring in order to keep the soldier population high. That part I don’t necessarily like, but what are you gonna do?

Now, I’m sure you’re curious about me. Well, I’m Rae. It’s been sixteen years since I started my life here in Halloguard. I’m considered the best of the best when it comes to fighting. I quickly shot to the top of my training class and have been favored by King Erik ever since. I’m loyal and I make it known how grateful I am for the life he’s given us. For the most part, I can’t complain. After so many years you become quite fond of the fighting lifestyle. And the friends I’ve made along the way make it a lot easier to deal with. More like family, really. There’s Bishop, Grey, and Eva. Three people I couldn’t live without. They each have their own strengths, but we’re all considered top tier in the King’s army. 

Bishop is an avid reader in his free time. Any book he can get his hands on, he’ll read it. He’s read every book in the kingdom about every topic available. Ask him anything about the history of Halloguard and he’s got an answer. He’s also my age so we get along pretty well. We were taken from the same village in the same group. While a master with a sword, he’d much rather stay behind and talk through the problem. But he won’t let the King or the rest of the soldiers know that. 

Grey is a little different. They’re the kingdom’s dragon tamer. And at only seventeen years old, that’s pretty impressive. They know how to diffuse a situation quicker than anyone I know. They’re calm and collected no matter what. You have to be when you handle deadly, aggressive reptiles every day. They can be pretty shy on the outside, and they usually stay in the back when we’re given missions. And while they aren’t the most subordinate, no one dares to do anything about it because without them the dragons would run rampant. 

Lastly, there’s Eva, the baby of the group. She’s only sixteen but she’s the best archer in the kingdom. She can make a bullseye from over a hundred yards away. At first glance, you wouldn’t be that intimidated. But if you piss her off, don’t let her get her hands on a bow or you’ll be sorry. While able to stick it between the eyes, she’s one of the sweetest people I know and she’ll never back down from a challenge. 

So, yeah, that’s our little group of werewolf warriors. It’s been a hard life but the King treats has always been there for us. I could never go against him. He’s given me everything I need to succeed and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.


	2. || Chapter 2 ||

All of us have been taught the same thing since we were old enough to remember. They shoved information so far down our throats that we couldn’t even think about forgetting. 

Rule #1: We aren’t allowed to go against any of the teachings. Not that I’d want to. Without those teachings, we’d be nothing. Even the peasants below us know these rules by heart. 

Rule #2: Every werewolf is destined to procreate when they are of age and until they physically can’t anymore. We all know how I feel about that one. The age we start is twenty-one years old. It’s a little old, but the King wanted to make sure that the offspring would be healthy, and that the females would be able to recover easily so they could keep having babies.

Rule #3: No one is ever allowed to go against the King. Anything he says is the law. That rule was engrained in werewolves especially ever since we were taken to Halloguard. We’ve grown up knowing that while we were considered pets of the King, we would always be treated well as long as we did our job. This is why rarely anyone ever goes against him. We all know deep down that King Erik is like our father. And who would want to go against their own father?

These rules have kept us alive for countless generations. King Erik has been ruler for quite some time now and since then we’ve never come under attack from anyone who poses a big threat. Maybe a tussle here and there, but nothing profound. 

Once those rules were put in our heads for a couple of years, we went on to the next set of training. History. The history of Halloguard and the other kingdoms, Midfjeld and Arcana. 

It all started in 2025. A deadly nuclear apocalypse ravaged the entire world. All because of some stupid countries who couldn’t get along. As if that didn’t do enough destruction, one of the countries unleashed an electromagnetic pulse that rendered all technology useless. Because of that, the new world order entailed that there would be no more democracy, no more technology, and no more separation. Only one true leader that everyone could follow. It was the only way to ensure the future of civilization. I couldn’t imagine what it must’ve been like. Everyone fighting meaninglessly. The original king was the only one that could control the chaos. He saved all of us. And we should all be grateful. His name was King Ezra. He was of the greats and he had the toughest job. Uniting everyone. He was ruthless, but it was necessary. He’s the one who put all these rules into place. Well, all but one. Werewolves didn’t evolve until after the first king had perished.

Only a certain percentage of survivors evolved into werewolves. You see, all werewolves have a specific gene in their DNA. Due to radiation, that gene no longer laid dormant in our bodies. Once enough radiation was absorbed the process was relatively fast. We all earned the ability to change our skeletal structure into that of a wolf. Not just a regular wolf though. About twice the size of one that you’d see in the wild. Our fur and eye color resembled our human form. With this transformation, we also earned certain superhuman abilities, like enhanced speed and strength. The only downside was that our hunger grew. We needed more energy than the average human. 

Because of this newfound species of people, the next king saw an opportunity. Enlist all werewolves into the kingdom’s guard. That way the other humans could focus on more important things, like farming, cooking, exploring, and building. 

We aren’t taught about any of the problems or hardships they faced, only the good and important things.

After the initial recovery of the nuclear attack, three kingdoms surfaced. Arcana, Midfjeld, and Halloguard. Arcana is focused more on farming and livestock. They are just as important as the other kingdoms though. They’re the reason all werewolves and people have enough to eat. 

Midfjeld is the center of merchants and markets. Trading is big there and that’s where a lot of jobs come from. Lots of exportation goes on there as well. So the other kingdoms have all the supplies they need.  
Halloguard is mostly filled with werewolves and the King’s castle, however, there are people who live here as well. Halloguard is the center of armor and weaponry. The people who live here usually have jobs as blacksmiths. This also means that we also have a lot of exportation going on, as well as importation for food.

All kingdoms and people have a job to do, and they are all equally important. However, there are people outside the kingdom that are against King Erik and his ruling. It doesn’t make sense. Who would want something better than this? It doesn’t exist. 

My friends and I have been sent on multiple missions to eradicate them. We call them rebels. Most of them are human, but some of them are werewolves who have managed to leave. Pathetic. I can’t even think about them without bursting with rage and punching something. There are dents on the walls of my room where I’ve gotten so angry from coming back from a failed mission to destroy them. 

I can’t wait until all of them have been destroyed. They don’t deserve to be part of any kingdom. They turned their back on King Erik, the one person who has given us all a successful, meaningful life. 

There is another enemy that doesn’t get talked about very much. They mostly stay out of our way in the outskirts. We call them the Vampires of Nox. Nox is where they set up their castles. They’re disgusting excuses of beings. They have no place in this world. Luckily we don’t encounter them that much. Probably too scared to engage with us because they know they’ll lose. 

We aren’t taught much about them. Just that they’re our one true enemy and if we ever encounter one, we are to kill on sight. No interrogation or planning, just destroy. I’m perfectly fine with that. They deserve any hospitality. God, even thinking about them makes me red with rage. 

And with that last thought, I’m on the mud dried ground of the training pit. 

“Hey hotshot, need a hand?” I hear a cackle in the distance and I subconsciously roll my eyes. I must’ve gotten too lost in my thoughts to block that attack. 

“No, I don’t need a hand. I’m fine” I grumble to my opponent. I stand up and wipe the mud off my legs and butt. 

“What were you thinking about this time?” They ask inquisitively. 

“Nothing important” I lie, but it’s not worth bringing up. “Come on, let’s keep going.”

“You sure Rae? You took quite a fall” They snicker to themselves and in response, I snarl back at them. I don’t really mean it, I’m just mad at myself for letting them get me like that.

“I’m sure Grey, let’s go. I doubt you can get me like that again” I taunt. I’m too angry for letting my memories get the better of me to quit training now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy it so far. Leave a like or comment with questions or critique :)


	3. || Chapter 3 ||

It only takes a second after me saying that for Grey to get a wild look in their eye, ready to knock me on my ass again. As if I’ll let that happen. 

All four of us are currently in the training pit. Bishop is practicing his sword skills on a wooden mannequin. It spins around so that every time you hit it, you have to block its oncoming attack. It’s a good way to increase your reflex time and accuracy. 

Eva is practicing her bow and arrow skills by the target practice area. She’s currently seeing how many arrows she can put in the same bullseye. So far she’s got four if I’m counting correctly.

The training pit isn’t technically a pit. It’s basically just a square mud arena a little less than an acre wide with wooden fencing around the perimeter. It has assorted weaponry like swords, axes, bows and arrows, and daggers on a wooden stand that’s connected to a small shed. The shed is full of armor and other assorted clothes used for different missions. 

The training pit is considered the werewolf sanctuary. It’s where most of us can be found throughout the day unless we’re actively somewhere else. All soldiers are expected to constantly train and work out so that we stay in the best shape possible.

There are even a few cabins inside the fencing for the werewolves that train more than others or that have a better relationship with King Erik. Me, Bishop, Eva, and Grey all stay in those cabins. The rest of the soldiers stay in other housing on the other side of the kingdom.  
Being this close to the pit means that we have access to everything we could possibly need for any situation. We’re always the first to get equipped with weapons and clothing because we’re the ones that go on more dangerous missions more frequently. I mean, it’s only fair that we get access to these things first. We are the best of the best after all. 

Anyway, enough about the scenery. I have a werewolf who’s ready to take me down right in front of me. 

Grey gets in their fighting stance, right foot in front of the left at a diagonal angle, with their hands in front of their face in fists ready to attack. I’m in the exact same stance about five feet away from them. Both of us are trying to figure out who’s going to attack first. I know that Grey likes to plan their moves before they take a single step, the exact opposite of me. I go in headfirst and think on the go. I’m still alive so I assume it works.

I take the opportunity while Grey is in their head, to take the first step towards them. We’re only about five feet apart so that first step forward leads to a lunge, launching me towards them at full speed. However, they planned for that. They knew I would go in head first, so right when I get in their face about to sweep their leg, they throw a punch right at me, clearly expecting me to run straight into their fist.   
They wish I was that naive. My instincts are too fast for them to touch me and I sidestep to the right just as they’re about to hit me. I take that opportunity to quickly grab their arm with my left hand and pull forwards. I place my left leg right in front of theirs and they trip over my foot, stumbling and falling face-first in the mud. 

“Told you, you wouldn’t be able to get me again” I mock back at them as they grumble to themselves.

They push themselves back on their feet and wipe off the mud patches on their chin and cheeks with a scowl on their face.  
“You got lucky” they try to reassure themselves.

“Whatever you say Grey” I softly chuckle to myself. “You fought well though,” I tell them as I put a comforting hand on their shoulder, “You just need to stop thinking for a minute and listen to your instincts is all”.

“Easy for you to say, I’m just much better at a distance. Let me get my hands on some throwing knives and you’re done for” they slightly smile back at me. 

At the end of the day, this was just a training session, nothing more, nothing less. We’re still family and we still care about each other. 

“Come on, let’s go see how Bishop and Eva are doing” I put my arm around their shoulder as we chuckle to ourselves and we saunter over to the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think :)


	4. || Chapter 4 ||

Grey and I stroll over to Bishop first who is currently in the middle of an all-out war with this wooden mannequin. I’d honestly believe he thought it was a real opponent if I didn’t know him any better. His movements of blocking and attacking are almost a blur. All you can see is wood and metal clashing against each other, some sparks flying as the metal comes in contact with the stricken wood. There are divots and scratches on every wooden arm from countless hours of training. I’m sure we’ll soon have to make another one. One good swing and it’d be cut in half on the muddy ground. 

He was ducking or blocking with his metal arm brace every time one of the dummy’s arms came swinging towards him. Right after he blocked an attack, he would spin around and bring the sword down on the mannequin’s arms and body. You could hear him start to breathe a little heavier as we got closer but that didn’t mean he was stopping. If you stop when you’re tired, you’re most likely dead. The longer you can go without stopping, the longer your energy will last in the future.

“Bishop!” I call out to try and get his attention. He swings one last time at an arm of the mannequin, metal clashing with wood, and then brings up the other hand to grab onto the swinging arm coming right at him, stopping the dummy altogether. 

He turns toward us and I can see that he’s sweaty from the rigorous training, a few of the curls of his hair stuck to his forehead. A few beads of sweat dripping from his chin. His cloth shirt has several laces undone showing the least bit of his chest. The neckline of the shirt has a prominent u-shape made of sweat as well, making it almost see-through.

“Hey guys,” he says breathlessly but there’s still an upbeat tone to his voice. He’s always been a pretty cheerful person. “How was your little tussle? I heard snarling, must’ve been pretty bad”, he chuckles at us. 

“I would’ve gotten her, she was just lucky” Grey tries to reassure themselves. 

“As if. They don’t call me the best for nothing”, at that remark Grey starts snarling at me again, so I snarl back. No way am I letting them challenge me and win. Soon both our eyes start to shift, turning into a bright gold color. Before it can go any further though, Bishop steps in. 

“Guys...GUYS!, you’re both pretty, now calm down” Bishop tries to take control of the outburst by pushing against each of our chests to try and separate us more. He’s always been the moderator with arguments and challenges between Grey and me. Don’t get me wrong, I love Grey with my whole being, we’re both just too Alpha-like sometimes and we get too absorbed in our egos. 

I don’t know who stops snarling first, neither of us would probably admit it. But, soon the snarling turns into a play fight rather than a challenge and we’re both smiling and laughing at each other. 

“Come on, let’s go see how Eva is doing” Bishop snaps us out of our own little world and the laughing eventually ceases and we agree with Bishop. All three of us amble over to Eva who is still completely entranced with her bow and arrow, trying to make a fifth arrow in the same bullseye target. 

“Hey, Eva!” I call over to her. 

“Shhhh” she shushes me immediately, not even facing me as she says it. “Well, excuse me,” I say sarcastically in a whisper, talking to myself. I look over at Bishop in a way that says “do something”. 

“Just let her make this last shot, you can wait” He whispers over to me. Wow, just wow. Why is everyone against me today? I can’t even get a word in without either being shushed or challenged. 

Eva finally releases the last arrow in her arsenal after letting out a long breath and locking her eyes on the target. The arrow travels fast and if you blinked, you would’ve missed it. You can hear a faint whoosh before it meets its mark between four other arrows. It’s perfectly placed and cuts the fourth arrow in half and goes straight through the red marked bullseye. 

“Ok, now, what’s up?” She turns towards the three of us and shows a big smile, her canines just barely poking through. 

“Grey, Bishop, and I are all done with training. Wanna grab a bite to eat?” I ask her. We’re all usually starving after training so it’s not unusual to find us chowing down on something after the first training session of the day. 

“Yeah, I could eat. That was my last arrow anyway”.

We all follow Eva over to where the weapons are held and watch as she puts her bow down on one of the stands. She didn’t bother picking up the arrows because she knows we’ll be back to training after we eat. 

After the weapons are put away, we start to head over to our chambers on the other side of the training pit. They can be quite spacious, so each of us has our own place. Each one also has a kitchen and a long dining table that seats six so we can all eat in any of the cabins we choose.

It’s a small trek to get to our quarters as the training pit is pretty gigantic. It’s meant to fit most, if not all of the werewolf soldiers at one time. That never happens though, but might as well be prepared. 

As we’re about to start up the steps to one of our little cabins, we hear someone whistle from the distance. Our ears perk up and we all turn around at the same time to see a small group of three of the King’s personal guards on the other side of the low fence separating the pit and the rest of the village. I internally sigh to myself and I’m sure the rest of the group does too. What do they want? I think to myself in an annoyed tone. I keep that thought to myself though. 

We walk over with our chests pumped out and with serious faces on so we don’t seem weak to them. Once in front of them, the only thing between us being the fencing, the one in front speaks in a commanding, monotonous voice. 

“King Erik wants to see you, all of you.”

“Now? He knows this is our time” I speak up for the group, emphasizing “our”. 

“He says this is of the utmost importance” the front guard speaks again, no change to his tone. 

“Fine, but if we miss our meals for this, I’m blaming you,” I say clearly disgruntled about not getting food.

The guard in the front told us he was waiting in the throne room and to not keep him waiting. He clearly had no respect for the werewolves who protected him every day. Figures. Humans were more or less worthless except for King Erik. The only reason he has my respect and gratitude is because he saved us from being savages in the wild. He gives us order and organization. He makes sure we have lives to live every day. None of the other guards in the castle do anything except sit on their asses and waste time. 

Me, Bishop, Grey, and Eva all trudge our way towards the castle entrance, which opens immediately because the entrance guards know who we are. We walk past the guards posted on either side of the doors and start our journey to the throne room. We walk through a long corridor filled with paintings of past rulers and doors on both sides of the hallway that connect to various rooms. I don’t spend too much time in the castle so I don’t remember what each room is used for, but I’m sure it’s important. 

There are candles in candle holders on each side of the doors lighting the way. There are few windows, but that’s not surprising as most glass wouldn’t have survived the attacks. Some were replaced with mosaics of various depictions. Some were just left open, letting the breeze and outside air in. The open windows are mainly in the rooms upstairs. Can’t have just anybody walking into the castle unannounced. 

Why did King Erik want to see us? Usually, he leaves us to our own devices and we protect and serve like we’re trained to do. Something has to be up for him to call us, just us for that matter, unannounced. Part of me was worried something was seriously wrong and was subconsciously scared for the future of the kingdom. The only part of me was a little excited. If it was a threat, I could finally fight. I had been training for years, a few tussles here and there, but they were never anything too challenging. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to fulfill my purpose. I shook my head internally to get those thoughts out of my brain, but it was no use. They were stuck in there. Manifesting and becoming worse by the second. 

Bishop put his hand on my shoulder to try and soothe me, noticing the inner turmoil. I had never told anyone these thoughts, not even him. I’d be risking everything if my feelings got out. So instead, I give him a half-smile and he smiles back, then we both turn back to the hallway, the throne room becoming closer and closer. 

Once we make it through the corridor, we enter into an open expanse that is the throne room. We walk along a bright red carpet that goes from the entrance to the King’s throne itself. The King is standing, actually standing, waiting for us to get closer. 

“Thank you for coming so quickly. Even though I’ve been told you put up a bit of a fight” King Erik says in his commanding voice, echoing throughout the room. I can see side glances from the rest of the bunch, obviously thinking the same thing the King is thinking. 

“Of course, your majesty,” I say as I bow with everyone else as we get to the foot of the steps up to the throne. 

“At ease.” He puts a hand up signaling that there’s no need for the formalities. “I’ve brought you here on an important matter, there is no room for courtesy.”

“Is everything all right, sir?” Bishop asks, concerned. Usually, King Erik is all for pleasantries.

“No, Bishop, as a matter of fact, it’s not. Someone reported seeing smoke from a fire in the distance on one of their trading routes.”

“Rebels?” I ask. 

“Let’s hope so. I fear it might be vampires” he says with venom in his voice. 

“What could they possibly be doing this far West?” Grey asks incredulously. 

“That’s for you four to find out,” he tells us in his dominant tone of voice. “If it is vampires, you know what to do. I don’t want to see you back here without their heads on your swords.”

“And if it’s only rebels, sir?” Eva speaks up from her usually quiet stance in the back. 

“Take them as prisoners. We have no room in this kingdom for insubordination. I will not have rebels this close to the castle without them being dealt with properly.”

“Yes, your majesty,” we all say in unison. I know he’s serious by the look in his eyes. Pure rage and bloodlust. If he could go out there himself, he would. But no one can risk losing the central source of order in the kingdoms. So, it’s up to us. And I won’t allow myself to come back without blood on my hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it took forever to get this chapter out, but this is probably the one I'm most proud of so far. It's also my longest. My team was constantly helping me critique so that it was the best for you guys. I hope you liked it :)
> 
> I promise Chapter 5 won't take as long to get out.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a like or comment with questions or critique :)


End file.
